BlueMotion, Ecomotion, ECOnetic - worth the hype?

BlueMotion, Ecomotive, EfficientDynamics, ECOnetic, Blue Lion. They may also sound like washing machines, but in fact they're fuel-saving systems installed on the greenest cars in the ranges of some of the world's biggest car manufacturers.

Most car manufacturers now brand their most efficient models - usually slightly-tweaked versions of existing models - to highlight to car buyers their green credentials.

Models such as the Ford Focus ECOnetic, Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion and Seat Leon Ecomotive are designed to appeal to car buyers who are looking for the cleanest and greenest models on the market, and often come with a price premium over similar non-branded models. Peugeot models tagged with Blue Lion indicate the manufacturer's cleanest vehicles.

Such models jockey for position as so-called green cars with hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid, but also small diesel models likely to be available with most mainstream family cars.

However, the benefits of driving such green models over normal models aren't always especially clear in terms of strict comparisons between price, fuel consumption and carbon emissions. So are 'green' cars worth the extra cash?

ECOnetic, BlueMotion and EfficientDynamics - what do they mean?

• BlueMotion (also Ecomotive on Seat models)

BlueMotion Volkswagens focus on three areas to drive down fuel consumption and emissions. Aerodynamics Lowered suspension, redesigned spoilers and under-car enhancements reduce consumption, while longer gearing encourages more economical driving. Remapped diesel engines equipped with Diesel Particulate Filters lower fuel consumption, and carbon and NOx emissions.

• Focus ECOnetic

Ford ECOnetic models use a small diesel engine equipped with a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) to cut out sooty emissions. There are no Stop/Start or regenerative braking system on the ECOnetics, though aerodynamic tweaks such as low-resistance tyres and lowered suspension drive down consumption and emissions.

• EfficientDynamics

EfficientDynamics uses Stop-Start engines, regenerative braking and all the aerodynamic tricks in the book to reduce fuel consumption, along with some clever touches like lightweight engineering and low-viscosity engine fluids.

EfficientDynamics does not denote a specific model in BMW's range, the systems are being introduced across the manufacturer's model line-up on all new BMWs.

• Blue Lion

Peugeot Blue Lion models emit under 130g/km of carbon dioxide, are manufactured in an ISO 14001-certificated manufacturing plant and are 95 per cent recyclable at the end of their lives.

What are the benefits of these 'green' models

The benefits of these greed-branded models over 'vanilla' models are theoretically lower running costs and less environmental impact. Most mainstream manufacturers have flagship models or lines aimed at the small car or small family car markets, as that's where there's most demand for such models.

Below is a comparison for several mainstream models aimed at this low-consumption, low-emission hatchback market. The benefits in terms of running costs, taking road tax and fuel consumption into account, are obvious with such models, but the wide array in prices make the choices between green-branded models, hybrids and clean diesel engines more complicated.

A number of models that do not feature any of the Ford Focus ECOnetic's fuel-saving technology return largely identical figures. For instance, one of the cleanest and cheapest small family cars is the Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi i-Blue, which will emit the same carbon dioxide per kilometre as the Golf BlueMotion but cost cost over £3,000 less. Additionally the Hyundai will return a superior fuel economy to the Honda Civic Hybrid, knocking £5K off the asking price in the process.

The moral of the story is not to accept the green PR at face value. If you want a low-consumption, low-emissions model there's every chance there's a far cheaper model than the likes of the hybrids or the ECOnetics of this world.

Green-brand cars v small diesels v hybrids

Green cars - the car or the driver?

Jeremy Clarkson recently raced a BMW M5 and Toyota Prius around a race-track to see which car returned the better fuel economy. To the surprise of no-one the M5 returned the better figures. Although Jezza had every intention of simply bashing the Prius, he did make an important point. It's frequently not the car you drive, but the way you drive them.

For instance drive a Focus ECOnetic normally and you'll be lucky to return the advertised economy of over 60mpg, unless you cruise at 60mph and turn the aircon off. Drive a Ford Focus 1.6-litre Style diesel and you'll find similar results.

Throw in some driving in town or up hills with a full car and - without regenerative braking or Stop-Start engine technology - the small advantage the ECOnetic has over the normal Focus will be hard to discern, at best, for a premium of £250. Switch on the aircon and the chances are you'll wipe out any advantage the ECOnetic has.

Ford Focus versus Ford Focus ECOnetic

Compare the five-door Volkswagen Golf Match BlueMotion to the vanilla five-door Golf Match and the benefits are easier to discern. Improved emissions and fuel consumption will reduce running costs on the BlueMotion, which also has a Diesel Particulate Filter to scrub out sooty diesel emissions. However, the BlueMotion comes at a premium of over £500.

That will even out after a year's use, but whether you judge the BlueMotion to be worth paying for - especially over other small diesel on the market with very similar figures - is a personal choice.

Volkswagen Golf Match versus Volkswagen Golf Match BlueMotion

Weighing up the benefits - cash versus conscience

Comparing figures for the Ford Focus ECOnetic against the Focus 1.6-litre diesel reveals that although there are small benefits in emissions and fuel economy, there's a premium to pay for it. Add in the fact that the ECOnetic's low-rolling resistance tyres and lowered suspension - traits likely to be exhibited by all such models - could make the car a less supple ride and there's another minus point to the green-brands.

You will save cash with these green-branded models, and you will have a smaller carbon footprint. But the benefits will likely only be seen over time and probably only with more motorway driving than urban driving. If you want to broadcast your choice of a green model and are prepared to recoup your outlay over time then the green-branded models are a good choice.

The manufacturers will trump their green-branded cars as a cheaper alternative to hybrids and electric cars, and they are. But take away the small CO2 and consumption benefits and factor in the price premium of the ECOnetics and BlueMotions of this world and the small diesel engines offered by manufacturers offer similar benefits for a lower price.

With other small diesels on the market in the hatchback such as the Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi i-Blue and Renault Megane 1.5 dCi 86 offering near-identical figures for several thousand pounds less the smart money - if economy and environment are primarily what you're looking for - is not on the ECOnetics and BlueMotions of this world.

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